Portland-Area Crag Statuses During COVID-19

Patrick Beesonwrote: I got an email reply from the folks in Clackamas County that Madrone will not open until Aug. 1 due to raptors not wanting to leave the nest:

I've spoken with Keith & Kellie at Madrone Wall Preservation Committee and it's not certain which date they will choose, as it still says July 16th on the Madrone Wall page. My opinion is that the County is simply leveraging any opportunity they can to keep the park closed, as has been their want for decades. Once the chicks have fledged, then it is safe to climb; around here that usually happens in the third or fourth week of June. There is no standardization around these openings but Cape Horn (Forest Service) has done the best job of managing their closure and they usually open up in the first week of July. The County supposedly has a wildlife biologist monitoring the situation. Until they remove the signs and open the gate, it's still trespassing to be up there.

Just want to point out that smith is hardly a "portland area" crag and portlanders should kindly stick to their local spots for now.

Sam Mwrote: Just want to point out that smith is hardly a "portland area" crag and portlanders should kindly stick to their local spots for now.

It's not on our list and we at PACC regularly remind folks that Central Oregon locals, park staff, and the governor have asked Portlanders not to travel out there. Kate Brown even mentions Smith Rock specifically in the stay-home order:

"Additionally, some Oregonians are not adhering to social distancing guidance provided by the Oregon Health Authority, as represented by crowds this last weekend at the Oregon Coast, Smith Rock State Park, the Columbia River Gorge, and other places around the state."

Multnomah County (majority of Portland population) is still under stay-at-home orders. Given the protests, which I wholeheartedly support in principle and mostly in practice, we are bound to see a spike in cases in the next few days, which may very likely lead to a rejection of the reopening of the county.

Anyone knows if rental crash pads are available anywhere in town?

Yannick Gingraswrote: Anyone knows if rental crash pads are available anywhere in town?

the gyms rent....but they are all closed.

.....and you cant have mine :)

Hi all, I'm just finally getting around to joining this site. I was hoping for less social media and screen time, and not more.    Anyhoo...Madrone Wall Park will open on 8/1 or possibly earlier, but there definitely was some conflicting information given to us by County Parks as to why 8/1 was the opening date. Please know that our group was not invited to participate in any discussions around a later opening. Not that we necessarily have to be, but after 20 years of building relationships with Clackamas County Parks, you can see how we're often brushed aside and uninvited. One Parks leader said it was COVID related and another said due to the biologist's (not wildlife or raptor biologist) recommendations, and mainly because of the juveniles dependence on the adults for food and hunting skill development. People need to recognize that there isn't anyone at the County that has any kind of experience or expertise with wildlife management. Obviously, there is nothing out there that backs the biologists' claim in terms of keeping recreational areas closed longer than necessary after the juveniles fledge. You see, in order for that biologist to come to that decision that the juveniles are not wanting to leave the nest, he actually has to be observing that behavior. One cannot make such a decision or come to a conclusion on the day that all 3 juveniles finally fledged on June 14th that they are not wanting to leave the nest. He would have to be documenting such behavior at this time.

FWIW, Our group shared more facts and cited our sources with the County back in mid June about why an extended closure is not based on science or current practice with other recreation areas.

I have been in conversations with other non profits and helpful individuals (WCC, Access Fund, Greg Orton, and more), and I am in the process of gathering more information in regards to fledging dates and lifting of closures for different areas in the PNW in the hopes for a future meeting later on this summer that is TBD. I would be somewhat empathetic to County Parks given their lack of staffing if they were upfront about reopening later than July 15 as it related to COVID, but they didn't bother. We had to pursue them after seeing that info on their website.

I would always encourage people to contact County Parks for questions regarding the wildlife closure and why it was extended.